Promises & Dr. David Sack featured on:
Articles
Is Depression a Contagious Disease?
Depression is a common, serious mental health disorder that affects roughly one of every 10 adults and teenagers in the US. Because of the seriousness and widespread impact of the disorder, mental health experts continually explore new areas of research and try to identify depression risk factors that affect various groups of people. According to new research published in 2013 in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, the symptoms of depression may sometimes act in the same way as a contagious disease and spread from person to person. The underlying factor in this contagiousness is state of mind that scientists call cognitive vulnerability.
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The Voices In Your Head
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Strident, screeching chatter. Prodding, coaxing, cajoling that never abates. Voices so loud and imposing you can’t sleep. Anorexics, bulimics, and food addicts of all stripes know the sound. We all have “the voice in our head,” our inner voice that directs and guides us. We all hear the playback of voices from our past. But this other voice is wholly different – it has no relationship to oneself or any experience in the past. Though completely contained within our own heads, some of us hear it as vividly as if someone were speaking to us.
Going Cold Turkey? Why Self-Detox is a Bad Idea and Potentially Dangerous
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When alcohol or drugs have virtually consumed your life and you come to the conclusion that it’s time to purge them from your system, the temptation is to do it yourself. While this may seem like a harmless home remedy, certainly one that won’t cost you anything, in fact, the practice is not only not very effective, it is also a bad idea that can prove dangerous – even fatal, in some instances.
Stress and Anxiety Among Millennials
Pressure from busy college class schedules and work schedules are stressing out the Millennials (those aged 18 to 33). Combine this with the anxiety of wondering if there will be a job after all this hard work and these are just a few of the reasons that researchers speculate the Millennials suffer the most stress and anxiety in the country.
Fish Oil as a Potential Treatment for Mental Illness
Fish oil is the common name used for a liquid derived from the bodies of several different coldwater ocean fish species, including tuna, salmon, bluefish, mackerel, and sturgeon. This oil contains substances called omega-3 fatty acids, which the body needs to support certain essential aspects of everyday health. According to the results of a number of modern studies, fish oil supplements can potentially help improve the symptoms of serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Use of these supplements may also help lower the risks for the onset of mental illness.
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Children Pick Up Drinking Habits From Mom, Study Finds
The intergenerational aspects of alcohol abuse are well-established and well-known. Being born into a family that has a history of problem drinking will predispose a child to having troubles with alcohol when he or she reaches maturity, and the relationship is especially strong for children of parents who are alcoholics or binge drinkers.
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Borderline Personality Disorder: Enlisting a Community of Care
This article is written for people who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or who believe themselves to have many of the traits of this personality disorder, but it may be helpful to anyone who is a family member, partner, or friend of someone with BPD.
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Synthetic Drugs Smiles, Spice Rapidly Emerging Threats
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If you want to eliminate dangerous drugs from society, you need to know what they are. This seems like a pretty basic tenet, and one that the many arms of the ‘war on drugs’ would have cracked long ago. Unfortunately, new variations of synthetic drugs are regularly entering the market, and these drugs often fly under the radar of parents, schools, and even law enforcement until thy gain widespread notoriety.
Why Is Rehab So Important?
For those struggling with weight loss or addiction, a pill that could cure drug dependency overnight or magically melt 100 pounds away seems like the goal: an impossible, yet endlessly desirable gift. Our bodies, however, have the right idea. Going through the difficult and taxing work of detox and then the long, grueling journey of rehabilitation is not one that seems fun or enjoyable, but it is the most reliable and most effective route for getting clean. No matter how appealing that kind of pill seems, it falls short of dealing with the deeper psychological and physiological issues that accompany addiction.
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One in Five Americans Highly Stressed, Survey Finds
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Every year, the American Psychological Association (APA) conducts a national survey called Stress in America. Since 2007, this survey has been commissioned by the APA as part of the Mind/Body/Health Campaign. The goal is to measure perceptions of and attitudes toward stress as well as to identify the sources of stress that people experience, the impact it has on lives, and the ways in which people manage it.
Family Rules: Don’t Talk, Don’t Feel, Don’t Trust
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As an addict’s use spins out of control, what happens to the rest of the family? In families where one or both parents develop an addiction, certain “rules” about how to behave and how to survive develop alongside the addiction.
Is Nicotine a ‘Gateway Drug’ for Cocaine?
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Despite the differences in their legal status, both nicotine and cocaine are known for their ability to cause physical dependence and addiction. The path to dependence and addiction typically begins when use of a given substance makes changes in the way the brain produces or breaks down dopamine, a naturally occurring chemical that plays several key roles inside the brain and body. Current evidence indicates that nicotine and cocaine alter the brain’s dopamine levels in highly similar ways. In addition, the ongoing presence of nicotine makes the brain more susceptible to cocaine’s effects and prepares the ground for cocaine addiction.
New Electric Current Brain Stimulation Alleviates Depression
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a brain-stimulating technique that uses very low levels of electrical current to change the amount of activity taking place in the brain’s main nerve cells, called neurons. This technique differs from another similarly named form of brain stimulation called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Current evidence indicates that tDCS can help relieve the symptoms of major depression, even in people who have not responded well to other forms of depression treatment. Use of the technique may also help improve brain function in several other ways.
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What Lies Beneath the Fear of Choking?
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Many people suffer from an irrational and unreasonable fear of becoming ill or dying that is so strong it can actually bring on terrifying medical symptoms that seem entirely real. These fears, which come in a variety of forms, are often grouped under the catchall term “hypochondria,” and give a clear indication of just how much power the mind has over the body. Sickness and healing alike have a definite psychological component, and, just as a positive attitude can help fight disease, a negative mindset can leave human beings vulnerable to a whole host of debilitating health problems, real or imagined.
Passing the Cinnamon Challenge Means Epic Fail for Teens
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In their attempt to make the leap from childhood to adulthood, it is natural for young people to push boundaries. Unfortunately, when combined with the potent effects of peer pressure, this tendency can sometimes lead them to indulge in foolish or dangerous behaviors, as they compete with each other to see who is willing to take the greatest risk in order to prove his or her maturity and fearlessness.
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